Alex's Notes on Flint

The team at Flint gained instant recognition for their precision winemaking and modern, innovative spirit when they released their first vintage in 2016.

I only wish I lived down the road - the place has such a distinctly hip, relaxed vibe, with evenings of street food and live music, and monthly supper clubs that bring the community together.

I first tasted their pink fizz a few years ago while on holiday in Norfolk, and it stopped me in my tracks. The aromatic intensity was astonishing! A rush of red fruit leapt from the glass, like dipping your nose into a vat of freshly crushed strawberries, raspberries, and cherries.

TL;DR

Founded by husband and wife team Ben and Hannah Witchell, and roughly equidistant between Norwich and Southwold (one of the UK’s driest and sunniest spots) the team at Flint has been determined to break with convention in their approach to sparkling wine.

While most English producers follow the traditional method (creating bubbles and biscuity complexity through secondary fermentation and ageing in the bottle that was first documented by English scientist Christopher Merrett in 1662), Flint has forged its own path.

Flint’s bubbles are still naturally produced by yeast, but in a tank rather than in a bottle. This technique - known as the tank method or ‘Charmat Method’, or in Italy ‘Metodo Martinotti’ - is how most Italian fizz is made.

You may also notice the bottles are missing foils – this is a conscious decision as foils are incredibly wasteful things! English producers are increasingly ditching foils, which is only to be applauded as there is simply no need for them.

Winemaker & Ethos

Like me, winemaker Ben Witchell holds a top degree in Viticulture & Oenology from Sussex’s Plumpton College, while he has made wine in various parts of the world, including a two-year stint in Beaujolais.

His philosophy is “scientific precision meets creative intuition” and the vineyard’s logo reflects a Venn diagram of science + tradition.

Flint combines high-tech precision (e.g., temperature probes, topographic mapping for frost pockets, electrostatic spraying to reduce chemical use) with traditional vineyard practices (e.g., pruning and harvesting by hand).

And Flint's winemaking features small-batch fermentations, as well as multiple tanks/treatments even for a single variety (e.g., different ripeness, different yeast strains) so that styles can be blended and fine tuned.

The Tank Method

It’s true that the tank method Flint has embraced is often associated with vast quantities of cheap, unremarkable fizz - often from incredibly high-yielding and pesticide-laden vineyards with little to zero focus on quality or vineyard longevity (vines yield less as they age and so are grubbed up and replaced many years before they should be). But when both the fruit and the winemaking are designed with precision, this method can produce profound sparkling wines of real depth and character.

At Flint, it most certainly does. Everything is done to achieve quality: low yields, strict selection in the vineyard, gentle pressing, experimenting with different yeasts, a little oak ageing, and some stirring of the lees for complexity. To achieve quality, you have to take your time, and you have to work harder (all of which sadly costs money!).

Flint adopted the tank method for several compelling reasons. First, many of the highly aromatic grape varieties they grow aren’t naturally suited to the traditional method - their vibrant, fruit-forward character and aromatic intensity shine through best in the tank method, which captures bright and lively fruit rather than developing flavours through long ageing. Second, it makes sound commercial sense for a young producer looking for a quicker return and cash flow - as the process is a great deal faster and less costly. And finally, it aligns with their long-term sustainability goals, supporting their plans to increase plantings of naturally disease-resistant varieties known as PIWIs.

PIWIs

PIWI is a German acronym for “Pilzwiderstandsfähig”, meaning fungus-resistant.

These are new-generation cultivars bred by crossing traditional wine-producing Vitis vinifera vines with generally non wine-producing but highly disease-resistant vine species such as Vitis labrusca, Vitis amurensis, Vitis riparia and Vitis rupestris - combining the flavour quality of classic varieties with far greater resilience in the vineyard.

The PIWI varieties planted at Flint will play an increasingly important role in their sparkling wine blends as these new vines come into production. They’re already using Rondo and Cabernet Cortis - both PIWIs - which require minimal spraying against the usual vine diseases such as downy and powdery mildew, and in some years need no spraying at all. This makes them a clear win for sustainability.

It can't be overstated the extent to which these varieties can reduce viticulture’s environmental impact, not just for conventional growers but also for organic growers who have to use significant quantities of copper to control downy mildew.

For context, a traditional Vitis vinifera variety - say, Chardonnay - might need around 14 chemical and/or sulphur/copper applications in a growing season. A PIWI vine, by contrast, might need just one or two. That’s a dramatic reduction in tractor passes (alleviating soil compaction), emissions, and the sprays themselves - a MAJOR win for both the environment and producers’ bottom lines. The downside? These varieties are largely unknown and they can't simply replace long established wine styles. But for novel blends, especially sparkling? Ideal!

Bravery and Vision

Ben began in IT and Hannah in travel, but in 2007 they took a leap of faith - quitting their jobs to spend a year exploring many of the world's great wine regions. That adventure shaped their vision and gave them a global outlook that still defines Flint today.

Now raising their daughters while running the winery, they’ve built a business rooted in courage, community, and craftsmanship. Flint champions Norfolk’s food and drink scene and feels every inch the innovative, ethical, family-run producer I love to support. And with wines this good, it’s hardly a hardship!

Values and Value

Ben and Hannah really are making a difference. And, as world renowned critic Matthew Jukes says, their sparkling is miles better and more unique than the vast majority of what comes out of certain Italian and Spanish sparkling regions that will remain nameless.

Please do continue to support this soulful family producer over mass-produced, faceless brands of fizz....

Flint Wines

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